Poached chicken
Some people think of it as bland white meat, but poached chicken shreds easily and takes no time to cook. The liquid can be seasoned and is excellent as a base of salads and no-cook casseroles because it is moist (where roast chicken can sometimes be hit or miss). It is also a low-fat cooking technique because the broth will hold the fats and is discarded. It also consumes considerably less energy than roasting or baking because the stove is only on for about 12 minutes.
- boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (bone in will change the cooking time)
- 1 – 2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth (or water or better yet … white wine)
- 1 stalk of celery (or 2 tsp dried herbs)
- 1 bay leaf
- squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Place chicken breasts in bottom of a small saucepan. They should fit in a single layer but fit quite snugly. Cover chicken with broth or water. Add celery (or herbs) and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Partly cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes (or 12 minutes for thighs). Turn off heat completely, and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and then slice or shred chicken.
